In many present day apartment buildings a central hot water is employed for supplying hot water to the various individual dwelling units (apartments). One problem for the building owner is that it is difficult to know, or determine, the hot water consumption for each individual apartment. One apartment occupant might use a relatively large quantity of hot water, while another apartment occupant might use substantially less hot water. This is somewhat unfair to those apartment residents that tend to economize on hot water usage.
A somewhat similar situation exists with regard to cold water consumption. Usually the cold water coming into the building passes through a single water meter before it is distributed to various branch lines leading to the various apartment units. Some of the cold water is sent to the central water heater, where it is heated before being distributed to the apartment units. Most of the incoming cold water is sent directly from the single water meter to the various points of usage (primarily the apartment units). The main meter at the building water intake provides information only on the cold water flow into the building. The meter is used by the water utility company as a basis for billing the building owner for the total water usage by all the building tenants and cannot be used as a basis for determining individual tenant usage of cold or hot water.
In addition to the “individual tenant water usage” problem, there is also a problem relating to water leakage. In a multi-apartment building it can be difficult for the building owner to detect water leakage in any particular apartment unit. As a practical matter, the building owner or building superintendent cannot go freely or at will into every apartment, on a daily or weekly basis, to inspect the faucets, shower heads, toilets, etc., for slow leakage. Unless an individual apartment tenant reports a leakage condition, the leak can remain undetected for a considerable length of time. Such leakage of water (particularly hot water) can represent a considerable economic loss over time, to the building owner and/or to the building tenants (in the form of higher rents). Water leakage can also be an environmental concern, since the total water resource of the country is, to a certain extent finite and limited.
The present invention is concerned with a multi-apartment water supply system designed to eliminate or minimize the above-described problems, i.e. the problem of determining water consumption in individual apartment units, and the problem of pinpointing or locating water leakage points (i.e. in particular apartment units).
A water supply system of the present invention includes the conventional water meter at the building water intake point, as well as ancillary water meters located in the cold and hot water supply conduits for the individual apartment units.
Each ancillary water meter provides the building owner with information on cold water consumption and hot water consumption by each apartment tenant. By comparing the visual readouts of the various ancillary water meters, the building owner (or operator) can determine which tenants are using relatively small amounts of water (hot or cold). Each tenant can be billed for his individual water usage.
The visual readouts of the ancillary water meters can also be used to pinpoint water leakage points in the building. For example, by keeping daily records of individual apartment water consumption, it is possible to ascertain graduated increases in water consumption associated with continuous water leakage, e.g. a continually dripping faucet or toilet that does not shut off. Daily water consumption that abruptly increases from a normal steady state value is an indication of a potential leaking water condition.
In another scenario, each ancillary water meter can be calibrated to measure very small water flow rates associated with water leakage conditions. By viewing an indicator needle or reading on a properly calibrated water meter, it is possible to detect the leakage flow, e.g. if the low rate-of-flow indication on the meter readout is always moving (i.e. never motionless) there is an indication that one or more of the water consumption devices in the respective apartment is leaking. The person viewing the meter readout can ascertain the leaking condition without actually going into the apartment.
Specific features of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawing and description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.